10 strategies to reduce your phone’s addictiveness. Given that our phones are made to scroll continuously, it’s no surprise that a large number of us suffer from screen addiction. Given that we check our phones 58 times a day on average, it is not surprising that 60% of Americans claim to be addicted to them. We are frequently advised to give up social media and phones entirely, but for the majority of us, this is simply not feasible. Alternatively, you can reduce your screen time by following these 10 tips to make your phone less addicting.
1. Hack your feeds on social media
Have you ever logged onto Instagram to view a friend’s message or a family member’s photo only to find yourself scrolling through endless reels? Perhaps you use LinkedIn to hunt for work, but you can’t help but spend too much time scrolling through the news feed? The purpose of social media is to arouse our desires. However, you may hack your social media accounts to remove the most enticing content by using apps and browser extensions. For example, the browser extension SocialFocus conceals portions of your favorite websites, such as the enticing Explore or Recommendation pages, so you may reconnect with loved ones without being enmeshed.
2. Turn your phone to grayscale.
People enjoy colorful things. We are powerless to stop them! Because of this, a lot of apps employ vibrant colors to entice you in. However, your brain may be less inclined to click if you remove those colors. You may fool your brain into believing that scrolling is dull by turning your phone black and white. Go to Settings on an iPhone, pick Accessibility, click Display & Text Size, and then select Grayscale under Color Filters. On an Android device, navigate to Settings, select Accessibility, and then select Vision. Grayscale will be an option there.
3. Disable alerts
You most likely feel compelled to check your phone whenever you receive a notice. Constant notifications can be detrimental to your mental health because the human brain isn’t always able to handle this much information. Disable any notifications that aren’t absolutely necessary. In this manner, you won’t be reminded to check your phone all the time.
4. Secure your phone with a hairband.
Brad Soroka, a strategist and designer at Adobe, has a special method for reducing your phone’s addictiveness. He advises wrapping a hairband around the center of your gadget. It makes scrolling considerably more difficult, yet you can still perform necessary functions like making phone calls. Every time you feel the need to use your phone, he explained, it prompts you to practice mindfulness and ask yourself, “What is my intention?” If you truly want to use the phone, decide why you want to do so and take off the hair band.
5. Make use of office hours on social media
It’s likely that many of us have attempted to limit how much time we can spend on particular apps, but we typically disregard the alert that says we’ve hit our limit. Setting social media “office hours,” where you give yourself permission to use social media as much as you want during specific hours of the day, can be a more practical strategy. With the help of apps like Opal, you can control how much time you spend on your phone without completely removing it. For example, you may set out a specific period of time to aimlessly cruise, talk, and watch videos, and then disable addicting apps between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. In this manner, you can satisfy your cravings without feeling bad about it.
6. Make an offline investment
Our phones have become so ingrained in our daily lives that it’s difficult to recall a time when we managed without always having our electronic gadgets with us. To prevent being engrossed and dependent on your phone for routine tasks, try getting back to the basics. Get a watch and an alarm clock, for example, so you don’t always need to check the time on your phone. You should also always have a magazine on hand so you have something light to read when you have some spare time.
7. Alter your home screen arrangement on a regular basis.
Sometimes we click on our favorite apps without even thinking about it since our minds are so accustomed to the layout of our phone’s home screen. It can be difficult to stop that kind of mindless behavior, which can keep us glued to our phones for longer than we would like. To avoid becoming too accustomed to your home screen arrangement, try switching it up on a regular basis. You won’t start utilizing your phone like a zombie that way.
8. Use a separate room to charge your phone.
Many individuals find comfort in sleeping with their phones next to them, but charging your phone on your bedside table increases the likelihood that you will check it first thing in the morning, which can be detrimental to your brain. Indeed, 90% of people who own smartphones report checking their phones within an hour after waking up. By leaving your phone in a different room overnight, you may easily stop that habit and force yourself to check it in the morning. Keeping your phone in a drawer or box is also a smart option because you’ll be far less inclined to grab for it if it’s not in your immediate vicinity.
9. Take a break from technology.
For most of us, giving up our phones entirely is not sustainable, but occasionally doing a complete digital detox might be beneficial. We can use it to reset and reassess how we interact with our gadgets and the digital world. Turn off your phone for a predetermined period of time and remove any addicting apps. Whatever works for you, it could be for a day, a weekend, or a month.
10. Avoid punishing yourself.
Spending too much time scrolling can lead to self-annoyance. Social media and apps are made to be addicted, so don’t punish yourself if you feel like it’s your fault. Actually, punishing yourself for occasionally indulging in a scroll could make it worse since you may begin to feel helpless. Rather, offer yourself some grace and do what you can.